“Ah yes, although in truth, that fact irks him and it would not put him in the best humor to remind him of it outright,” she admitted. “I have not precisely considered how that angle can best be used as yet.”
On reaching Sir Matthew’s residence, however, they were told by the butler that Sir Matthew had ridden over to St Ives on business. Mina and Jeremy exchanged glances, for they both fancied they knew what business that would be.
Jeremy handed over his card and the butler’s eyes widened. He took a step back from the door, opening it for their admittance. “If your lordship and your companion would be so good as to come inside to wait in the drawing room, I am sure that Sir Matthew will be back within the hour.”
“Thank you, you are most kind,” Mina answered, leading the way. Jeremy fell in behind her and they were led into a handsomely appointed drawing room of blue and white.
“I will fetch you some refreshment, my lord,” the butler said, backing out of the room, but Mina forestalled him.
“Could you be so kind as to convey a message to Miss Carswell for me?” she enquired cordially. “And let her know that Miss Walters awaits below and would very much like to see her.”
The butler hesitated. “Miss Cecily is still abed I fear.”
Mina’s eyebrows rose. She had not expected that Sir Matthew would allow such indulgences in his house as lying abed until eleven in the morn. “I believe she will very likely receive me in her room,” she said with a confiding smile. “We are very old friends you see from Cecily’s schooldays in Bath.”
The butler’s brow cleared. “I see, miss. I will certainly let Miss Cecily know.” He disappeared, only to reappear five minutes later, beckoning to Mina from the doorway. She excused herself to Jeremy, who looked resigned to kicking his heels and followed him upstairs to a very charming bedchamber done out in rose pink. Cecily was wearing a frothy lace wrapper with her golden hair still loose over her shoulders. She squeaked at Mina’s appearance and hurried forward to embrace her warmly.
“My dear Miss Walters,” she gushed, drawing her into the room. “I am so happy to see you delivered from the jaws of certain death!” she gabbled before noticing that they were not alone. That will be all Fimble,” she said grandly to the butler, in dismissal.
Mina cleared her throat. “A cup of tea would be most welcome, Cecily dear,” she prompted.
“Oh! Of course!” Cecily turned back to the butler. “My usual tea and toast,” she said vaguely. “With an extra cup for my guest.” She shut the door after Fimble and begged Mina to take one of the pink and gold boudoir chairs. “Forgive me for being so thoughtless,” she said with a charming smile. “Only I had thought – with everything that has happened – that you would not be able to eat or drink a drop! I vow I could scarcely eat any supper yesterday after I had been apprised of the awful goings-on!” She gave an eloquent shudder before crossing to her dressing table and seating herself there.
So, thought Mina, Sir Matthew had been kept fully apprised of the business. Very likely the Riding Officers were hoping to go for a conviction.
“I do hope you won’t mind my seeing to my toilette,” Cecily ran on apologetically. “But I simply must be presentable by the time dear Sir Matthew returns.” Mina saw with surprise that Cecily colored slightly as she said this and anxiously scanned her pink and white complexion in the mirror for any flaws.
“Of course not,” Mina said, folding her hands in her lap. “In truth I am very relieved that you have been apprised of what has occurred. I was not sure if Sir Matthew would think such matters fit for your ears.”
Cecily took a pretty pink bottle up and lifted the stopper to apply rose water to her face. “Oh, as to that,” she said not quite meeting Mina’s eyes in the looking glass. “Things have undergone a slight change between Sir Matthew and myself.” She simpered as she opened a box of pearl powders. “Since that unfortunate contretemps that you so kindly extricated me from.” She dabbed a large powder puff to her nose and chin. Swiveling on her seat, she looked earnestly at Mina. “I will not scruple to tell you, my dear Miss Walters—”
“Mrs. Nye,” Mina interjected smoothly, but Cecily took no notice of such a trifling detail.
“—that you must wish me happy in the very near future.” She fidgeted with the ribbon at her breast, a moment. “Only fancy! Quite unbeknownst to me, Sir Matthew has been madly in love with me all this while! He finally declared himself in a fit of passion when he railed at me for being taken in by that unworthy scoundrel Mr. Brinson. It seems poor Sir Matthew wished for me to make up my own mind, but when he saw I could be so easily taken in, he said he will no longer permit my being out in society until we are safely married. We are only waiting for my twenty-first birthday next year and then we shall tie the knot.”
Mina frowned. “And what do you think about that, Cecily?” she asked, feeling somewhat taken aback.
“Oh, well I am fully sensible to the honor that he does me, Cecily answered, preening herself. “I daresay none of my schoolmates will marry so well as I.” Mina remembered that Eliza Hinch had married a baronet but thought it would not be fortuitous to bring that up at this precise moment. “It does still take me aback that I should have captured his heart,” Cecily admitted in a burst of confidence. “For he always seemed so stern and forbidding, that I never once thought of him in the role of lover, but now that I do…” She blushed. “Well, I have to own he is the very finest man I know. And not so very old at six and thirty. We are only related by marriage, and besides Sir Matthew has promised that he will take me to Rome for our honeymoon and that I may have one of my cousin’s litter of Maltese dogs for my very own companion. They are such dear little things, like little balls of white fluff! Oh, I shall be so happy to have both a husband and a little doggy of my own,” said Cecily clasping her hands together and gazing at her reflection in the mirror raptly.
“I see,” said Mina, though in truth she found it extremely hard to imagine Cecily as the wife of dry Sir Matthew. She wondered for instance, what on earth they could have in common to talk about of an evening. For Sir Matthew was cool and sardonic where Cecily rattled on like a pea goose. While it was true that Cecily still seemed to feel some vestiges of her former awe around her guardian at present, Mina did not doubt this would soon dissipate and then she would regale Sir Matthew with her every empty-headed thought. Still, she reflected, it was highly likely that people thought she and Nye made a strange couple. Perhaps Sir Matthew would simply sit Cecily on his lap as Nye did with her. “I am happy things are going on well for you, my dear,” she said aloud.
“Oh yes,” Cecily agreed dreamily, as she threaded a riband through the front of her locks. A discreet knock on the door heralded the arrival of a tea tray which was set down on a gilded occasional table.
“Would you be so kind as to pour, Miss Walters?” Cecily asked, her eyes not leaving the mirror.
“Of course.” Mina nodded and thanked the parlor maid. “I do wish you would call me Mina, now Cecily. For our own ages are not so very disparate and we have been acquaintances now of many years. And with you so very soon to be entering matrimony, it seems foolish that you should address me so formally.”